My love affair with dough appears to be getting worse, I now seem to be baking my way through Paul Hollywoods ‘100 Great Breads’, keeping a note of each one I have baked, making notes about the recipe and awarding marks out of 10. Obsessed, I think so !!!!

This recipe caught my eye as soon as I looked through the book and I could not wait to bake it, even though I knew that I would be the only one that liked it.

I’m not going to say that this is an easy recipe, I found it rather challenging, as the recipe does not state an exact amount of water to use. As a novice baker I found this rather hard to gauge and felt my bread was a little sticky. Also adding the cherries and chocolate was also not easy, I ended up throwing the whole lot back into the food mixer and combining the ingredients with the dough hook. It worked a treat but I did lose the texture of the cherries.

All that said the end result was gorgeous and turned out well. I ate the first loaf whilst it was fresh and left the other a couple of days and then turned it into the most luxurious bread and butter pudding. It was worth making the bread just for that reason alone. I have added both recipes for you below.

So if you fancy a challenge, who knows you may find it a lot easier than I did and fancy the delicious combination of cherries and chocolate in bread, give this recipe a whirl. Its always nice to try new things and add to our repertoires. Also if anyone has any tips on how much water should be used or an easier way of combining the cherries & chocolate, please let me know, any help would be gratefully received for the next time I make this.

Buon appetito



Ingredients
Makes 2 loaves


500g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
30ml olive oil
15g fresh yeast
warm water to mix
160g tin black cherries, drained
200g packet chocolate chips

Put the flour into a bowl with the salt, olive oil and yeast. I always put the yeast in first, cover with the flour, then add the other ingredients as you do not want your yeast coming into contact with the salt. Slowly add the warm water and mix by hand until the dough is pliable. I cheated and did this in my Artisan!

Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-7 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.  Time for a cup of tea and a browse through your cookery books!

Line a baking tray. Divide the dough into two pieces and add half the cherries to each one (You may need to add a little more flour if the mix becomes too sloppy.) Now add half the chocolate chips to each dough. Mix well, adding a little flour if the dough becomes to soft. Shape the dough into two balls and flatten to about 5cm/2 inches high. Dust heavily with flour and score diagonal lines across the top to form diamond shapes. Place on a baking tray and leave the dough to rest for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200c/400f/gas mark 6.

Bake the bread for 20-25 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

And with the second loaf I made this:-



Serves 4

6 thin slices or so of your Chocolate and Sour Cherry Bread
50g English butter
50g Cherries (glace, dried, tinned, jar, what ever you have or like)
40g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 pint milk

Thickly spread bread slices with butter. Cut into fingers or small squares, triangles if you like, what ever you fancy. Put half into a 1 litre/2 pint buttered ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with all the fruit and half the sugar. I never ever put fruit on the top as I hate it when it burns.

Top with the remaining bread, buttered side uppermost. Sprinkle with the rest of the sugar.

Beat the eggs and milk well together. Strain into the dish over the bread.

Leave to stand for 30 minutes, so that the bread absorbs some of the liquid. Bake in the oven at 160c/325f, mark 3 gas for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until set and the top is crisp and golden.

Serve hot with custard or good quality vanilla ice cream.

Traditional, simple, perfect.

If you do fancy a change, you can use a selection of dried fruits from cranberries to apricots, add liqueurs, use brioche, croissants, panettone, just play and see what works for you, but most importantly enjoy and share with your loved ones.